Bloom, Claireoriginal name Claire Blume ( born February 15, 1931 , LondonEnglish London, EnglandEnglish dramatic actress noted for her moving portrayals of Shakespearean heroines. She also played appeared on stage, in television, and in motion pictures.

She Bloom studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. At age 14 she tried out for the part of Juliet with the company of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre Company (later the Royal Shakespeare TheatreCompany) in Stratford-upon-Avon; in 1948 at Stratford she was cast as Ophelia in Hamlet, Blanche in King John, and Perdita in A The Winter’s Tale. She won praise for her early motion-picture role as a ballet dancer, playing opposite Charles Charlie Chaplin in the film Limelight (1952). She performed with the Old Vic company (1952–53) and subsequently successfully combined a stage career with films. Some of her Bloom’s more notable movies include Richard III (1955), The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965), Charly (1968), and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). She , and she continued to star in films and on television into the 21st century.An

Bloom published an autobiography, Limelight and After, appeared in 1982. She was named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013.